


Learning to Coach

by Lanerose



Series: Lane's Yuri!!! On Ice Fics [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Missing Scene, Written Pre-Episode 9, or at least not jossed enough to make it not work as a series insert, pleasantly surprised not to have been jossed, post episode 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 09:00:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8660749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanerose/pseuds/Lanerose
Summary: A tag for episode 8.  What exactly does Yakov have to say in response to Victor's sudden request?





	

            After an imperfect short program, Yakov wasted zero time in gathering Yuri’s belongings and pointing him toward an exit, hoping to give him the rest of the evening to get his head clear for tomorrow. The boy paused on their way out though, and Yakov from habit paused as well, looking for the source of the distraction.

 

            Ahead of them, Victor was having a disagreement with his skater while various other professionals looked on. Yakov could not recall the last time he had seen such an expression on Victor’s face as his former student turned and spotted him.

 

            “Can you be Yuuri’s coach tomorrow, for just one day?” Victor asked, distress clear and unfeigned on his face. Behind him, Victor’s skater paled. Yakov sighed.

 

            “What’s this?” Yakov shook his head. “Victor, you’ve always been selfish, but even you must know that a coach’s job is to be there for their skater? Why are you even thinking of leaving in the middle of a competition? And to go looking to your competition for help?! What kind of coach –“

 

            “Excuse me, Feltsman-san,” Yuuri said calmly as he stepped between Victor and Yakov. Cool as the ice on which he’d skated, Yuuri turned his back to Yakov and grabbed Victor’s hands in his.

 

            “Victor,” Yuuri continued, staring straight into Victor’s eyes, “you know that one of my biggest regrets was not being there for Vicchan when he passed away. Having you here while Makkachin is ill will only make me more unsettled, so I need you to go back to Japan now.”

 

            “Oi, what do you mean Makkachin –“ Yurio began, but he cut off abruptly as Yakov put a hand on his arm and shushed him.

 

            Victor squeezed Yuuri’s hands. “I know you mean well, but you shouldn’t have to be alone – “

 

            “Victor.” Yuuri repeated firmly.

 

            Victor’s babbling trailed off, and the world seemed silent in spite of the hum of activity around them. Yuuri switched his grip on Victor’s hands so that their fingers were interlaced and leaned forward until their foreheads were against one another.

 

            “I need you to have faith that I will win tomorrow without you here,” Yuuri said. “Can you do it?”

 

            Victor’s eyes widened, for a moment thrown back to an underground garage at the Cup of China and Yuuri, with his unflinching honesty. _You don’t need to say anything. Just have more faith in me than I do._ He took a breath, then straightened his shoulders, hesitation falling away.

 

            “Okay,” Victor said after a moment, and then, with as much certainty as he could, “I’ll tell your mother to make sure she has all the ingredients for katsudon to celebrate your victory here tomorrow.”

 

            Yuuri squeezed his hands and smiled. “Okay.”

 

            “Yuri,” barked a voice behind the Japanese skater, who was turning with apologies already on his lips when the voice continued, “Lilia, let’s go. You need your rest before the free skate tomorrow.”

 

            “Hey, wait, I wanted to –“

 

            “We’re going home,” Lilia said, shoving Yurio forward. “Come, Yurachaka.”

 

            Yurio, with a mutinous expression on his face, half-walked, half-was dragged past them.

 

            Yakov did not smile at the couple has he walked past them (Yakov rarely smiled at anything, after all), but could not deny the thought that crossed his mind: _You just might make a decent coach after all, Vitya_.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

“Everything I’ve learned about coaching, I’ve learned from making mistakes.” – Rick Pitino

**Author's Note:**

> Hahahaha, this fic happened entirely because I couldn't get it to leave me alone, so I wrote it to get it out of the way so I can go back to working on other fics. XDDD
> 
> Concrit always welcome! ♥


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